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What is CHIMERA?

Challenge

CHIMERA reinvents the chicken manure disposal process. Chicken manure requires specific treatment procedures in order to optimize its nutritious and, at the same time, reduce its environmental impact.

Nowadays, chicken manure disposal is mostly delivered to waste-to-energy plants: farmers have to manage some activities such as shelter and storage, which produce emissions (e.g. ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide, greenhouse gases).

CHIMERA solves all those issues related to the management of chicken manure thanks to a “ready and easy to use” solution, which works in small farms or farm districts for meat (broiler) and/or eggs production laying hen. The dimension of the plant is limited (15 × 9 × 6 m) and can be installed within any sized farm.

CHIMERA’s ambition consists of transforming chicken manure into a fertilizer, while producing energy, and thus creating a circular economy model.  CHIMERA is an innovative   solution in the name of sustainability.

The CHIMERA project becomes true thanks to the EU financing of the LIFE programme, GA n. LIFE15 ENV/IT/000631, and the collaboration between 3P Engineering Srl, an Italian engineering company and project coordinator of the project, and Renders&Renders V.O.F., Dutch poultry farm.

Atmospheric Pollution

Manure disposal yearly causes 25 million tons of GHGs emissions in the EU, which is equal to the emissions of 15, 4 Million passengers’ vehicles, or the yearly production of 19 coal-fired power plants.

SOIL AND GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

In terms of heavy metals released in the environment, manure disposal generates around 10.000 tons of copper, 700 tons of lead and 57.000 tons of zinc every year.

Smell emissions

The smell emissions of manure during transport and/or disposal affect the population living in the neighbourhood

CHIMERA decreases

Emissions

Chicken manure has properties but it is also the cause of polluting and smell emissions. It has to be managed with shelter and storage activities and generally conferred to waste-to-energy plants. Just a small part of it can be disposed on the soil in the EU, since it alters the environmental balance. CHIMERA eliminates the management activities, through the installation of a small plant working at continuous cycle within the farm.

CHIMERA promotes

Circular economy

CHIMERA is a plant that transforms chicken manure into fertilizer and energy. The technological focus is on the burner which allows a more efficient fumes’ treatment. The technology is based on two patents developed by 3P Engineering, whereby from nature – chicken manure – it goes back to nature - fertilizer - to be disposed on the fields, where crops for breeding are grown. The fertilizer could also be a new business opportunity for the farmer.

CHIMERA produces

Energy

The heat generated during the process can be used to produce thermal energy, which make the farm self-sufficient. For instance, the thermal energy is needed to warm/cool the farm itself and, through a co-generator, it can be transformed into electric energy for lighting and operations running. CHIMERA is indeed a sustainable model of green economy.

From manure to fertilizer

Out of 10 kg of manure in input, we obtain 1kg of fertilizer in output thanks to CHIMERA.

ENERGY PRODUCTION

The heat produced is transformed into thermic and elctric energy that make the farm self-sufficient.

ZERO EMISSIONS

Fumes are treated efficiently, lowering down to zero GHGs emissions.

Zero smell emissions

Chimera plant eliminates all smell emissions to the benefit of citizens living in the surrounding of the plant

How does CHIMERA work?

Process

CHIMERA is a small size chicken manure disposal plant (15 × 9 × 6 m) working at continuous cycle. In broiler farms a small storage for chicken manure has to be set, since the production is not continuous. In eggs’ production sites, where chicken manure is continuously produced, its management is immediate: manure is transferred through a conveyor belt into the combustion unit and processed to be transformed into fertilizer and energy.

The technological innovation related to the burner allows a more efficient fumes treatment and a combination of the fumes’ organic elements together with the ashes’ inorganic ones.

At the end of the process, a by-product is obtained: through a decanter, the liquid part is separated from the solid part. The liquid part is reintroduced into the smoke treatment circuit, without the system consuming water The dry part has the characteristics of a fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to be spread on land for corn and wheat production.

Made 10 the amount of manure generated in the farm, the amount of fertilizers produced by the plan will be equal to 1.

The heat produced during the combustion process is conveyed through dedicated pipes into sheds used for breeding and, in part, transformed into electric energy to support the farm’s daily operations.

The water obtained from the treatment of chicken manure, which is an extremely humid substance, is completely reused to hydrate ashes and break down the pollutants contained in the fumes.

The first two prototypes have been installed in the Marche region, in Italy, while the real scale pilot plan is working in 2022 at the Renders & Renders farm in the Noord-Brabant region, in the Netherlands.

Who does what?

Team

3P Engineering is based in Italy, in Chiaravalle (AN) and Urbisaglia (MC), in the Marche region. It is an accredited Testing Laboratory (ACCREDIA LAB N ° 1537 L ISO / IEC 17025) and as an engineering company, has developed 31 patents and various innovative projects. In 2010, 3P Engineering received a request from a farmer for a combustor for methane gas, exploiting his know-how on combustion processes. That is how 3P Engineering entered in contact with chicken manure disposal issues for the first time. After thoroughly analyzing the matter and creating a customized solution, the company has decided to submit a proposal answering to the European LIFE program call. That is how CHIMERA started!

For the testing phase of the technology, the Renders & Renders farm in the Netherlands has been involved, with over 200,000 heads in an area of 8,100 square meters, where the full-scale pilot plant has to work producing fertilizer and energy.

Michele
Marcantoni

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineer and Ph.D., he is the author of many publications as well as winner of several grants. He has also been selected for international research experiences, including at the HMI "Hahn Meitner Institute" in Berlin, Germany , and at the "Laboratoire Léon Brillouin" of Saclay, in France. In 2002, he won the E-Capital Business Competition and founded 3P Engineering, of which he is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors and co-Managing Director with Rosalino Usci. As regards CHIMERA, Michele Marcantoni is responsible for coordinating the project, supervising all the activities.

Rosalino
Usci

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineer and Ph.D., is co-Managing Director of 3P Engineering with Michele Marcantoni since 2008, guiding the company for all the operational and strategic aspect. Before joining 3P Engineering, he worked as R&D Manager in market leading companies. Thanks to his knowledge of thermofluid dynamics applied to machine design, CFD / FEM numerical simulations and mechanical design, he is the author of several patents registered by 3P Engineering. As regards CHIMERA, Rosalino Usci is Responsible for Dissemination and EUAB (External User Advisory Board), also providing a strategic technical contribution for the development of the project.

Jack & Mark
Renders

Owners of a broiler farm

Owners of a poultry farm located in the North-Brabant, in the Netherlands, Jack and Mark Renders are two brothers and partners in the European project CHIMERA. Pioneers in experimenting new technologies to improve business management, Renders will host the pilot plant developed by 3P Engineering at their poultry farm. They will test the continuous-cycle operation of CHIMERA, with regard to the production of fertilizer that will be got from the chicken manure, as well as the thermal and electrical energy that will be produced, implementing a circular economy model.

CHIMERA’s External Users

Advisory Board

CHIMERA is a R&D project and, as such, it has to be validated from the technological point of view while answering to market needs. The External Users Advisory Board (EUAB) is a body involving all possible stakeholders interested in the project as institutions, research centers, farmers, plant producers, etc. to better disseminate the potential of CHIMERA technology and involve them in monitoring and networking activities.

Members are constantly updated about project progress, they participate to workshops, visit the prototype and the pilot plants in Italy and the Netherlands. Their feedbacks are of uttermost importance to achieve project results and guarantee replicability. CHIMERA concept, indeed, can be transferred to other contexts of organic waste/biomass disposal.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CHIMERA, PLEASE ANSWER TO OUR SURVEY BY CLICKING HERE.
THANK YOU!

Ecoinnovazione

Paolo Masoni

President

Agri Vivai

Stefano Lucchetti

Technical Coordinator

University of Naples Federico II

Riccardo Spaccini

Agricultural Chemistry

Pasifika Group

Franco Brambilla

Senior Advisor

Puopolo Farm

Giuseppe Melino

Farmer

Legambiente

Chiara Braschi

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Unaga

Luana Spernanzoni

Journalist

UNICAM University of Camerino

Enrico Marcantoni

professor of organic chemistry

UNICAM University of Camerino

Genny Pastore

Chemistry department

UNIVPM Università Politecnica delle Marche

Stefano Lenci

Ordinary professor of Building Science

FTI

Giuseppe Lanaro

Technical manager

Horta

Valentina Manstretta

R&D

ECOZERO/Biofactor

Joaquim Grácio

Managing Partner

Manifaktura

Francesco Balducci

CEO

University of Sassari

Serena Marras

Professor of Agricoltural Sciences

ENEA

Marina Penna

University of Macerata

Francesca Bartolacci

PhD Associate Professor, Management and Accounting

UNIVPM

Giuseppe Toscano

Head of the Biomass Lab

ERSAF

Pietro Iavazzo

U.O. Monitoring of Agri4.0 policies and innovation of supply chains

Agrosistemi

Fabio Cella

Direttore Business Development

Poultry sector in South America

Paolo Terenzi

Rapresentative & Consulting

AGRITER - Dottori Agronomi Associati

Giambattista Merigo

Agronomist

ASTRA Innovazione e Sviluppo

Nicola Minerva

Head Manager

LIFE BIOAs

Flavia Forte

Eco Recycling Process Engineer

UNIVERSITY OF TURIN

MASSIMO PUGLIESE

Ph.D. - ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO

GIORGIO PROVOLO

PROFESSORE ORDINARIO - DIPARTIMENTO DELLE SCIENZE AGRARIE E AMBIENTALI

ENEA

Alice Dall’Ara

Researcher, Technology of Materials’ Laboratory (Faenza)

Marche Region

Alberto Orso

Fonctionnaire - Environment Department

LIFE Ammonia Trapping

Cristian Pascual

Communication Manager

FOMET SPA

Matteo Casella

Plant Manager

FOMET SPA

Alberto Modena

R&D – Laboratory FometL@b

Polytechnic University of the Marche Region

Giuseppe Toscano

Associate Professor

SEA Ambiente

Sara Fabrizi

R&D

ENEA

Laura Cutaia

Head of the Sustainable Production Systems Department

Sogis SRL

Susanna La Rocca

Technical director

Libera Associazione Agricoltori Cremonesi

Giuseppe Uberti

Agronomist

Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna

Giampaolo Peccolo

Associate Professor, Medical and Veterinary Sciences’ Department

Arvan Srl

Pier Luigi Graziano

President

Monaldi Aurelio Srl

Gaetano Sirocchi

Responsible for contract farming

UNIVERSITY OF MILAN

GIORGIO PROVOLO

FULL PROFESSOR - AGRICOLTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT

UNIVERSITY OF MILAN

Valentina Orzi

PhD, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Department

Fileni Simar

Maurizio Riginelli

Responsible for contract farming

Keep you posted!

News

Keep updated on CHIMERA project’s progress. Here you can find news, videos, pictures related to the prototype and pilot assembling, the participation of our team to events, fairs and conferences… and much more!

News Archive

LIFE CHIMERA AT CLUSTER DAY, TOWARDS THE TRANSITION: SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The LIFE CHIMERA project has been one of the protagonist project at the Cluster Day organized on 15 December 2022, in Ancona (Italy) by the Marche Cluster Foundation, as part of the event “Sustainability, innovation and energy efficiency“, during the Talk “Towards the transition: sustainability and efficiency energetic”. Rosalino Usci Dissemination & Networking Manager of
Read More

LIFE CHIMERA: SURVEY RESULTS

A Survey has been proposed for the poultry sector in relation to CHIMERA, to an audience of stakeholders, to investigate how the new technology created thanks to the European LIFE program can respond to needs and expectations of sector operators. The Survey was submitted during the LIFE CHIMERA Final Event on November 23, 2022, via
Read More

3P ENGINEERING TURNS 20!

Twentieth anniversary for 3P Engineering, Beneficiary Coordinator of the LIFE CHIMERA project and which built the plant that will allow the transformation of chicken manure into fertilizer and energy. The engineering company based in Italy, is also the author of the two patents underlying the new technology that distinguishes CHIMERA, and which aims to create
Read More

NETWORKING LIFE PROJECTS: AGRESTIC for FINAL EVENT CHIMERA

Networking activities continue with the LIFE AGRESTIC project which took part in the CHIMERA Final Event on 23 November 2022, with a specific session dedicated to the presentation of the project “LIFE AGRESTIC – Reduction of Agricultural GReenhouse gases EmiSsions Through Innovative Cropping systems”, that promotes the adoption of innovative and efficient cropping systems, with
Read More

EFSA: WEBINAR ON ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS APPLICATIONS

EFSA European Food Safety Authority organized a “Webinar on the applications of animal by-products“, as part of the regulatory innovations introduced by Regulation (EU) 2019/1381 (“Transparency Regulation”). During the event, which was held on Thursday 1 December 2022, the procedures concerning the implementation of the transparency regulation, the submission of applications, the confidentiality assessment and
Read More

EUROPEAN POULTRY – HOW TO CHAMPION A SUSTAINABLE MEAT PRODUCTION

On 30 November 2022, the CHIMERA team followed the event “European Poultry – How to champion a sustainable meat production“, organized by AVEC, the European association of producers in the poultry sector which brings together all the national representatives. The event was held live online and, at the Press Club Brussels. At the heart of
Read More

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